CARY, N.C. – North Carolina FC announced on Friday the club had signed defender Lamar Batista to a two-year contract through the 2025 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

The 6-foot-5 center back brings seven seasons of experience across the USL Championship, USL League One, and MLS NEXT Pro. He most recently put together a solid 2023 campaign with San Antonio FC, where he appeared in 24 games and recorded two goals and two assists across 1,848 minutes of action. The defender made 95 clearances, 46 interceptions and won 57 aerial duels as he helped the club to a fourth-place finish in the USL Championship’s Western Conference.

Batista will play alongside his adopted brother, Garrett McLaughlin, who has re-signed with North Carolina FC after captaining the USL League One Champions in 2023.

“I’m excited to bring all my energy and heart to NCFC,” said Batista. “I’m a passionate player who wears their emotions on my sleeve day in and day out! I can’t wait to play with my brother and make something special of this 2024 season.”

“Lamar is a welcome addition to our roster,” said NCFC head coach and sporting director John Bradford. “He’s got a tall, strong frame and knows how to use it. His ability to win balls in the air, strength in possession, and awareness on the field make him a perfect fit for our back line. He’s well-versed in the USL Championship and is a prime example of the experience we want at this level to bring in and blend with our returning players as we make the jump in 2024.”

Analysis

Lamar Batista was an early breakout star for San Antonio FC in the 2023 campaign and his ability in the air proved an asset both defensively and at set pieces. The 25-year-old won 58 of 88 aerial duels – a 65.9 percent success rate – while also winning 42 tackles at a 65.6 percent success rate.

The key for Batista as he joins North Carolina will be in how he harnesses his physicality in battling opposing attackers. He recorded 54 fouls in the 2023 campaign and earned 12 yellow cards – tied for third-most in the league, and what felt like a reason behind his reduced role as the season went on as the threat of multiple-game suspensions for caution accumulation became clear. If he can find the right balance there – and the influence of a player like Paco Craig alongside him should help – then this could turn out to be another solid piece for NCFC’s return to the Championship.